Guys. It’s JUNE. Who cares that summer officially begins three weeks from now. I’m ready for summer now, and so I am declaring today the official beginning of Fittie Summer Fun Time.

I haven’t checked with my fellow bloggers if I have the authority to do such a thing. By the time you read this, I may already have been kicked out of my corner office at Fittie HQ.

Regardless, now that it’s basically summer, you might have noticed that the produce at your local market is looking a little less mangy. That’s because some of it might actually be local and not shipped in from Chile (unless you live in Chile, in which case I’m totally crashing on your couch next January through April).

The arrival of fresh, local produce can only mean one thing: It’s time to eat a metric shit-ton of fresh, local produce!

Samantha is very kind to cite my healthy diet in her most recent post. In fact, it’s been my consistent running routine that’s kept me moving toward my weight loss goal for the past few months (I am very close to hitting 80 pounds lost!). My eating habits have remained vegan throughout the spring, but I wouldn’t say that they’ve been particularly healthy – at least not by my usual standards. The lack of decent, fresh produce has led me to rely on alternatives like canned tomatoes and frozen kale — not unhealthy by themselves, but once I open the door to convenience vegetables, other convenience foods start to creep in. Processed soups, frozen pizzas, and snack foods have all made appearances throughout the year, and I’ve found myself feeling less motivated to put serious time into cooking fresh meals.

No worries though, my friends! Just this week I renewed my commitment to my nutritarian lifestyle, and on Tuesday I came home from the market with several bags full of fresh veggies and fruit. I’ve been back on track with my daily bean and kale soup, fruit and nut breakfasts, and giant afternoon salads. Dinners have been fresh and healthy. The other day, I borrowed an outstanding recipe for chickpea and brown rice-based veggie burgers from my friends Kate and Josh — I’d share it with you, but they’ve sworn me to secrecy! Sorry! And this evening, I enjoyed creamy avocado pesto (courtesy of this recipe) made from fresh avocado, basil, lemon, garlic, cold-pressed olive oil, and a little bit of salt, and served over a small serving of whole grain pasta.

Sound good? This stuff isn’t hard to find! Get to your local fresh food store or farmer’s market, stock up on fruit and vegetables, and eat like a true champ!